Customer Reviews

The Boy, The Mastodons, Book I

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Something felt wrong and woke the Boy up while the rest of the tribe slept. He began running partly out of fear and partly to know what is happening. When the earth moved, the Boy is fortunate to have survived on an island that has sprung up in the middle of a river where no island or water had been. On the island the Boy meets an injured Mur (Mastodon) he names Murgatroyd. They get off island, but his tribe is battered by the phenomena none understand and his failure to come back make them accuse him of cowardice ignoring his explanation. He is a pariah without rights; only his ten summers keep him from exile.

The Boy does chores when ordered. Most of the time, he is free to be by himself to explore and invent. He finds a strange place with a human statue finely carved and where metal exists. The Boy befriends the other tribe outsider, the cripple Nado who has a useless a hand so can never be a warrior. Together they share adventures and are adopted by a strange bird. The Boy calling himself Daryl wants the Shaman's daughter Parlan as his wife, but has no chance as he is a nonentity even though she as the tallest female towering over many males combined with her father's position will limit those asking for her.

The first mastodon tale is an exciting prehistoric thriller that paints an intriguing tribal culture. Boy's wise mother explains that group truth is not necessarily an individual's truth; as what happened is outside the knowledge and lore of the tribe so the clan must find a way to make it fit even when that ignores the person who most knows the facts. The story line is engaging, but mostly sets up the future tales in what looks like it might be an alternate history based on what the Boy found. Fans will appreciate James Strauss' interesting opener that and look forward to the sequels in what should prove an entertaining saga, 25000 BC.

Harriet Klausner

This was a realistic and exciting journey into the past.....the way past that we can barely imagine..early man still within evolutionary stages...(we may still be there!)...Jim Strauss builds the scene and the character of early humanity, families and experiences that we can still relate to in our lives today. The book is so enjoyable, I read it in two
sittings. Well written, imaginative, realistic..definitely read it.
Kathleen Eddy Yih

If you enjoy prehistoric fiction but feel embarrassed by the lurid details in Clan of the Cavebear and its imitators, then this one is for you. Great detail, characters you can feel for, and a fine adventuring story.

At age 57 I am writing my first and only review. I have a voracious appetite for reading in many genres. I would never have picked up Mr. Strauss' "THE BOY" as a matter of habit but it was highly recommended to me. What a unique and marvelous tale woven. I was truly disappointed to find there is not yet Volume 2 available. I can't wait to see what becomes of the white flint. This is a "must" Xmas gift for young and old. It's a great anthropology lesson slipped in under the guise of entertainment.

Writing good paleo-fiction is harder than it looks. Jim Strauss makes it look easy. Reading about who we were when the human race was still a child gives us a better idea of who we are now, and where we may be headed. Strauss's style combines caution and risk. Like his main character, the boy with the spear, Strauss knows when to take chances and when to run for cover. He is nobody's fool.

Who can deny the pleasure of experiencing a good read? How about one that transports you into the world that the author creates for you with scholarship that rings true about human life 25,000 years ago? One that carries you along on a stream of descriptive narrative which enfolds you into the story? That's what James Strauss did for me when I read "The Boy." The hours slipped by unnoticed and after a little sleep I was able finish the last chapter. But, I know I am not finished with that boy. There is still so much more to know. I can only guess what Strauss has in store for him as he grows into manhood. I can hardly wait for the next volume.

I've told everyone I meet about this wonderful story, so well written, which has added human emotions into an ancient world about which we know so little and to which we owe so much.

This book kept my attention from cover to cover and illustrates the vivid imagination possessed by the author. I am anxiously looking forward to book 2. Go Jim!

This book is just flat-out fun...with soul and a message. I picked it up and couldn't put it down, being drawn into the story unlike any book I've read for a long while. Perfect for all ages, I will be sharing this with my teenage sons and recommending it to my friends. James Strauss creates a vivid world where perceptions of the many are often more powerful than the reality experienced by a few, reminding us of the ageless values that should guide us all through life. Often while reading this book, I thought of how the experiences of the small tribe he envisions living some 25,000 years ago are not much different than our huge tribe of today, where moral courage is all too often overshadowed by the messages and perceptions we're continuously manipulated with by those in power. But more importantly, pick it up for the fun of the story. I have no doubt it will take on a meaning of it's own for everybody who reads it.

The Boy, The Mastodons, Book I

Having the privilege of associating with the Author in the 1970's has always Generated Fond memories of Action, Accomplishment and Solid Integrity.

Life offers such interesting Variables and we lost touch for 20 years.

This First in an much anticipated series is powerful and entertaining and Strauss brings the past to reality. The struggle of Life has not changed over eons.

The results are still garnered by those who can SEE their direction, apply Massive determined ACTION and learn to effectively socialize.

I love his weaving the wonderful relationship of Man and Beast. My son, Jonathan Bartok's uncanny ability to communicate with Horse has Taught me much in the developing of solid Business relationships and Jim prsent these Life Truthse superbly.

Thanks Jim foer a wonderful first in a powerful Series.
Your talent has my highest recommendation

25,000 years ago the ancestors of modern man lived and struggled for survival, but nevertheless lived as best as humans could live in the embrace of nature.
Only a true anthropologist helps us journey back to the begining of our own time.
The plots Straus presents are adventurous, yet marvelous for those extraordinary times.
The characters given life here are very human thus realistic
The mythological aspect throughout the story is expressed by the embracement of the animals as part of the adventure.
And of course, Daryl-
Daryl is the hero (the one who is called to the adventure). He reminds us of those who become great men, or women, whose journey becomes historical and life-changing; thus adding a verse to the song of the ever expanding universe. Daryl reminds me of an old saying, "to great men, come great challenges".

J. Rosetta
Raincloud